Meta plans to lay off about 8,000 employees, roughly 10% of its global workforce, on May 20. The company says it will provide a “generous severance package” including 16 weeks of base pay plus two additional weeks for every year of employment. For US employees, Meta will also cover COBRA health insurance costs for up to 18 months for workers and their families.
Publishing giants and author Scott Turow have sued Meta and Mark Zuckerberg, alleging the company used millions of copyrighted books without permission to train its AI model Llama. The suit claims infringement occurred without compensation, while Meta says it will fight aggressively, arguing that training on copyrighted material can qualify as fair use.
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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg told employees the company will cut about 10% of its workforce on May 20, citing soaring capital spending tied to AI infrastructure. Speaking at a town hall, he also refused to rule out additional layoffs later this year. The move lands amid employee backlash over new monitoring initiatives and Meta’s shift toward an “AI native” organization.
Meta says its headcount rose to 77,986 as of March 31, 2026, up 1% year on year, even while it continues workforce recalibration and cost-cutting. CEO Mark Zuckerberg points to a push for stronger infrastructure and a reward system for high-impact contributors—aimed at accelerating innovation and scaling advanced models.
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